VW AG CEO to focus on US and Brazil

While in 2013 the biggest European car group managed to snatch the global second position from the US based General Motors, if the company wants to go for the No.1 it still needs to address some faults.

With deliveries surging across most of its markets, thanks to strong performances in China and a return to growth in the European core region, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn stil needs to address the dwindling sales in the North American and South American regions.

While the US was always a hard nut to crack for the Volkswagen core passenger car brand, historically the South American region was a source of constant growth until recent years.

“The Americas are a significant cornerstone of the 2018 strategy,” Winterkorn said in a statement. “We want to and we must grow there substantially and profitably.”

The VW group plans to introduce 100 new or refreshed models through next year as part of its strategy to go for the biggest automaker in the world – Toyota. For the North and South American regions, VW plans to locally manufacture a new mid-sized SUV specifically tailored for the US market, construct an Audi manufacturing facility in Mexico and thoroughly refresh its model line-up in Brazil.